City of Angels 2014 Update #7 – Campfire Stories

Tired, happy, dancers snuggling on the couches and in the dark cabanas;

Heaters burning in a row along the pool;

Falling lights flickering from a canopy of branches overhead;

Silhouettes floating up and back under the moonlit palm trees to soft Gary Clark Jr and John Mayer;

Tears and laughter;

Wine, Tall Tales, stories.

So many stories.

Returned to my room late last night thinking about one story …

A young girl, college student, difficult breakup, mother suddenly hospitalized with a serious illness, finding herself out of school with no money or place to live –

Dancers opening their homes to her, insisting on financial help, providing medical information, resources, help wading through insurance issues; taking this person into their homes and their hearts, quietly without fanfare or announcements. Just real help with te hard parts of life.

Real world support. Out of love, just love, period, nothing fancier than that. Not expecting a thing in return.

Because the community is family – chosen family.

Constant reminders this weekend that after all the “drama,” the griping and moaning, petty jealousies, turf wars, sniping, cattiness – all the stuff that’s fun to gossip about and not so fun to navigate -

All that negative drama is nothing compared to the quiet, behind-the-scenes, coming through for people in the real ways.

The good in this community has always vastly, hugely, overshadowed the bad.

How many times over the years have people said that the community – the lifelong relationships begun here – has changed their lives utterly. The community is their lives.

Not a metaphor to say that the dance community is family. It’s home.

CORRECTIONS!

I incorrectly reported that Mike Gadberry – Event Director of Desert City and generous benefactor – donated $32,000 this weekend to Brad Whelan to provide free Brad Whelan Pictures for all City of Angels attendees.

That figure is incorrect – I omitted a zero. Mike actually donated $320,000.

Brad wants me to make clear to event directors interested in hiring him for future events: Please be aware that Brad’s rates have gone up and $320,000 is his current fee for a weekend of photography.